Earth Hockey I

Highlights of the activity

1. This computer visualization activity is designed to help upper division undergraduate students visualize the motion of a hockey puck located on the surface of the earth.
2. Students work in groups and use a computer animation to explain trajectories of a hockey puck in different reference frames, taking into account the Coriolis effect.
3. The whole class wrap-up discussion summarizes the possible trajectories the hockey puck can take, helping students visualize the motion of objects in a rotating reference frame.

Reasons to spend class time on the activity

Animations help students visualize the motion of objects as seen from the rotating Earth.

Reflections

• Reflections from the original implementation.

• Reflections from "official" adapters/adopters.

• Reflections from the general public.

Instructor's Guide

• Wiki version